Norway and the dark side

The nightmarish events in Norway remind us all that horror is sometimes just a heartbeat away. As I discussed with others why this human being would intentionally kill fellow human beings, someone said, "no offense, but this was a radical right-wing fundamentalist."

I took no offense, because this "fundamentalist" is as far from my way of thinking as Mercury is from Pluto. There's no difference between this "right-wing nut" and a "left-wing nut" when they decide to lay aside their humanity and dance with the devil. The outcome is the same; people get killed, innocents are slaughtered, all for the good of some ideal that is outside the bounds of sanity. I am deeply angry at this man who calls himself "Christian;" he can call himself whatever he wants, but his actions proved that he is no follower of Christ.

When we talk about left-wing or right-wing, we get the idea that there's some kind of line, stretching from the left to the right, with the vast majority of us somewhere in the middle. But that view was challenged for me when I considered the actions of this "Christian" who took lives into his own hands and decided to play God.

I won't mention his name, because from what I've read, he WANTS the notoriety, he wants the world-wide forum that being a mass murderer gives you because the world cannot fathom WHY this had to be done.

Instead of a straight line, with extremists on each end wreaking havoc with the world order, I picture a circle, with a side populated by most of the world; rational, sane, humane people. But as you move away from that, you come to the small section where rational thought gives way to insane logic. The section where, no matter whether your ideology is right or left, the end result is always a break with sanity.

The finger-pointing and name-calling because one side did this, or the other side did that, is ultimately useless and always takes away from the possible solution of peace and unity. How do we move from the side of right into the side of wrong? How does that happen?

The world is asking that question now, and if we can learn anything from this, it's that every step we take in this journey of life can take us in one direction or another. Toward the light side of the circle, or the dark side. The good news is we get to choose which way to take, and I hope that we examine every step to make sure that we are not heading to the wrong side.

An enviable legacy

Lazy summer days... I am blessed to be able to stay home with the kids and spend time with them while they're still young. And I'm thankful that they're able to take care of themselves pretty much (my diaper days are done for now, hallelujah).

As I think of ways to keep them occupied, I contemplate my life. I often think of myself as a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of girl who is sometimes capable of moments of planned organization. Routines and schedules, while I like them when I follow them, don't often stay long when I'm in charge of implementing and maintaining them.

I have moments of clarity and forethought, like when I thought of having the boys learn to cook by taking charge of one meal a day once a week. My 15-year-old made a really lovely baked fondue from the Good Housekeeping cook book. There's hope that he'll take after his dad in the cooking department.

Overall, though, I go through many of my days without much of a plan or routine. While that's good for spur-of-the-moment things, I can't help but feel that it's merely drifting through life. Yes, living life moment-by-moment can be some people's ideal, especially those who are trapped in the past or worried about the future. But moderation in all things, right?

So I envy those who have discipline in their lives; those who have a plan and know that they're doing something to accomplish it. And I think that as we learn discipline and forethought in our lives, we build on it with each year that we're on this earth. We teach it to our children, consciously or unconsciously. Then they learn and pass it on to their children, and the legacy builds with each generation.

Some families who've started this process sooner and have learned to effectively pass it on build up a tremendous family legacy that is obvious in the descendants. You see it in the way they ARE; gracious, kind, loving, thoughtful, disciplined.

That's one kind of legacy; the one I aspire to. Other legacies are not so enviable, of course, and there's always the possibility that one generation goes horribly wrong in a long line of honorable ancestors. And while it's vital that we pass on what we've learned to our kids and build good habits and disciplines in ourselves and teach them to our kids, we will also pass on those not-so-good habits and idiosyncrasies that make us slap ourselves on the forehead in frustration.

My hope is that the legacy I'm passing on right now won't mess my kids up too much. But I still have a little time left; I pray that I'll make good use of that time, and keep learning myself how to live a worthy life that they'll want to emulate, especially during these lazy summer days.

I know that I'm not perfect (God sure knows that), and my kids are not an extension of me, so I'll not put myself under that kind of pressure. But I can do all that I am able to pass on a legacy worthy of envy.

What legacy are you passing on? Share your wisdom with me and I will thank you from the bottom of my heart!